‘Espresso’ makeup is the edgy older sister to the Latte trend—here’s your guide to the seriously sultry look

While ‘Latte’ makeup‘s bronzy glow has been dominating our For You pages lately, the trend’s edgy, big sis has just entered the chat. Meet, ‘Espresso’ makeup—the look we’ll be repping on every date night for the rest of our darn lives.

While TikTok has a tendency to rename age-old ’90s and Y2K beauty trends, we—and the rest of the internet—are not too mad at these latest coffee-inspired offerings. But while the Latte vibe focuses on soft, milky bronzed tones, its buzzy new counterpart sees us injecting a shot of rich, smokiness into our beauty regime.

So, for anyone who already loves a smokey eye moment or wants to give their everyday look an extra kick, here’s a breakdown of TikTok’s Espresso makeup trend…

What is ‘Espresso’ makeup?

Despite the likes of Hailey Bieber giving ‘Latte’ makeup a whirl, the ‘Espresso’ inspired trend is already racking up views, with over 1.8 million to its hashtag so far.

This latest caffeinated look shares a few of the fundamental elements of Latte—so soft, bronzy browns and neutral tones—but with more of a focus on the smokey eye. It’s darker and infinitely grungier, intended to mirror a steaming mug of, you guessed it, espresso. Think Lily-Rose Depp’s makeup from The Idol, with that smudgy black liner.

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As we can see, from the numerous TikTok videos already emerging, the eye is the real focal point, with users opting for deep, browns and smokey blacks, before finishing the look with black kohl liner and mascara. And while Latte can feature a shimmer over the lid, Espresso is matte and mature—hence why it has such older sister energy.

The beauty of this makeup is it’s cohesive, but not perfect and polished, which gives it that sophisticated but edgy feel. Basically, it’s the definition of sultry and will no doubt, join your best date night perfumes as your go-to nighttime vibe.

MIL’s picks for ‘Espresso makeup’

To build your own espresso-inspired makeup routine, you’ll need to treat yourself to an eyeshadow palette with warm and cool-toned browns and neutrals. You’ll also need a black shadow or a kohl eyeliner, that smudges out easily—along with a creamy, radiant bronzer.

How to do Espresso makeup

Like with Latte, you’ll want to opt for your best non-comedogenic foundations for the base and a cream or powder bronzer. Blush isn’t really part of the assignment but if you can’t forgo a hint of flush (we feel you) opt for a warm rosy pink, coral, or mauve—as opposed to a red or cool pink.

For your espresso smokey eye, select a warm brown, mocha-like shade and buff it over the lid. Then top with a darker hue or black, making sure to blend before adding a black wing. If you’re not confident with liner, these eyeliners for beginners are a great starting point.

Then bring the liner under your bottom lash line and smudge it out, to really give that smokey effect, before finishing the look with a nude lip.